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Thursday, 18th December 2008 (2011 views)

Gold jewellery and ornaments from Afghanistan are currently on display at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

The Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul exhibition, which runs until January 26th 2009, has been curated by Fredrik Hiebert, archaeologist for the National Geographic Society.

A collection of some 22,000 gold items was discovered by Russian archaeologist Victor Ivanovich Sarianidi in 1978 during a dig at a burial site for ancient nomads and the artefacts have now been rediscovered and studied.

Addressing the World Affairs Council this month, Mr Hiebert explained the story behind the treasure, which was originally found buried in Anau, an ancient city on the Silk Road and survived conflict in Afghanistan in an armoured safe in the vault of the presidential palace, according to the Monterey Herald.

Each of the gold artefacts appears to have been made locally and from gold mined in Afghanistan.

The so-called Bactrian Hoard from the tombs of a Bactrian man and five women includes a gold crown, weapons, jewellery and ornaments.

 

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